#rollwithus

Ey, the thing I named my blog after! Also, since it's World Pangolin Day, education and donation time.

(Pictured: a long-tailed pangolin standing on a tree branch.)

Pangolins, known for looking like a pinecone or artichoke, are funky little creatures native to parts of Africa and Asia. Their body lengths range from 30 centimeters/~12 inches to 100 centimeters/~39 inches in length, without their tails taken into account. The heaviest species, the ground pangolin, can weigh in at 33 kilograms, or 70 pounds. They eat ants and termites.

Their defense against predation is curling up into a ball and relying on their scales.

(Pictured: a ground pangolin walking, and an Indian pangolin curled up in defense against two lions.)

Unfortunately, this doesn't deter poachers. Despite having no medicinal value, pangolin scales are used in chinese traditional medicine or as jewelery. They are hunted as bush meat. It is the most trafficked animal in the world, with tens of thousands trafficked avery year. All 8 species are threatened, three classified as critically endangered.

Numerous efforts have and are being made to protect these wonderful creatures. They're near impossible to breed in captivity and they have a weak immune system, making them prone to stress-related illnesses. In the wild, they're secretive and hard to study. Adults typically only have one offspring (called pangopups) at a time.

Spread awareness (since we all know Tumblr is mean to links) and donate if possible. Any amount helps.

Links to Donate:

Wildlife Conservation Network

African Wildlife Foundation

PangolinConservation.org

Pangolin Crisis Fund

World Wildlife Foundation (Symbolically Adopt a Pangolin)

Traffic.org

David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation

Further Reading:

WWF: (1), (2)

SavePangolins.org